The Tennessee Supreme Court on July 15 directed Connecticut lawyer Wesley Shelman Spears to respond within 30 days as to why discipline imposed in Connecticut should not also be imposed in Tennessee. If no response is received by the deadline, the court says it will impose identical discipline. The State of Connecticut Superior Court found that Spears sent a “series of inappropriate and offensive text messages” to his client. On April 3, it suspended him from the practice of law for one year.

Chancellor Doug Jenkins of the 3rd Judicial District — which includes Greene, Hamblen, Hancock and Hawkins counties — recently was elected president of the Tennessee Judicial Conference, the Administrative Office of the Courts reports. He will serve a one-year term as president, ending in the summer of 2027. One of the main duties of the conference is organizing judicial meetings throughout the year, including the annual summer conference. Other responsibilities include committee work and legislative activity. Jenkins, a 1995 graduate of the Nashville School of Law, was appointed to the chancery court in 2013 by then-Gov. Bill Haslam. Prior to his appointment, Jenkins operated his own law practice in Rogersville and worked with the Law Offices of Terry, Terry & Stapleton in Morristown.

Davidson County lawyer Carrie Archie Russell was reinstated to the practice of law on July 14 after being on inactive status since March 15, 2012. The Board of Professional Responsibility reported that the petition for reinstatement was satisfactory and the Tennessee Supreme Court adopted the order on July 15. Earlier it had directed Russell to complete outstanding requirements with the Tennessee Commission on Continuing Legal Education (CLE) prior to reinstatement.

The Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) is investigating threats against four female judges allegedly made by a man currently in custody at the Davidson County jail. The threats were included in letters that arrived at the Justice A.A. Birch Building last month, mixed in with other mail sent to the criminal courthouse. According to the Nashville Banner, the letters began arriving June 24, and by June 26, the Davidson County Criminal Court was informed that they included threats against Criminal Court Judges Khadija Babb, Cynthia Chappell and Angelita Blackshear Dalton, as well as General Sessions Judge Ana Escobar. MNPD says that its Security Threat Section, part of the Specialized Investigations Division, is pursuing the case. The correspondence also reportedly included threats against President Donald Trump, which were forwarded to the U.S. Secret Service.

Knox County lawyer Jonathan William Doolan received a public censure on July 15 after the Tennessee Supreme Court found that he violated Rules of Professional Conduct 1.1, 1.3, 1.16, 3.2, 3.4, 8.1 and 8.4. According to the court, Doolan filed a lawsuit for a client in Knox County Circuit Court. An answer was filed but he took no further action. Three years later, the trial court issued notice of a trial date. Doolan did not appear at the scheduled trial. Neither the court nor opposing counsel were aware that his law license had been suspended.

Shelby County lawyer Mary Kathryn Kent was suspended from the practice law on July 15 after the Tennessee Supreme Court found that she failed to respond to the Board of Professional Responsibility about a misconduct complaint. She immediately is precluded from accepting any new cases and must cease representing existing clients by Aug. 14.

The TBA will host two upcoming webcast replays to help attorneys boost productivity and improve their practices. On July 21, “7 Time Management Things Attorneys Should Do, But Don’t,” featuring time management expert Paul Unger, will offer practical strategies to help lawyers tackle chaotic schedules and become more efficient. On July 22, “8 Things Killing Your Law Firm and How to Stop Them” will guide lawyers through the process of identifying and eliminating the most common sources of waste in their practices to deliver more value to clients. Both sessions will run from noon to 1 p.m. CDT. Can't make this time? The courses also are available on demand.

The Trial Court Vacancy Commission recently met in Memphis to consider candidates for a circuit court and criminal court vacancy in the 30th Judicial District. After conducting public interviews and a hearing, the commission selected three nominees for the circuit court to forward to Gov. Bill Lee for consideration. They are William Christopher Frulla, C. Scott Jones and Mitzi H. Pollard. Learn more about the candidates by reviewing their applications on the Administrative Office of the Court's website. For the criminal court vacancy, the commission reports that though four candidates originally applied for the position, one applicant withdrew before the hearing. After a public hearing, the commission did not vote to send all three applicants to the governor, thus in accordance with state law, the governor may fill the vacancy with any qualified individual.

The 2025 Elder Law Forum will be held next Friday at Belmont University College of Law’s Randall & Sadie Baskin Center in Nashville. This annual event brings together attorneys and elder care professionals from across Tennessee to explore key topics including undue influence, Medicaid/TennCare, VA benefits and ethics. Lunch and free parking is included. The forum offers a valuable opportunity for learning and networking within the elder law community. For more information and to register, visit the TBA website.

Davidson County lawyer Mitchell Ray Miller received a public censure from the Tennessee Supreme Court on July 14. The court found that Miller violated Rules of Professional Conduct 1.3 and 1.4 when he failed to respond to four communications from a client over the course of a month. The client had paid a fee of $2,996.50 to hire Miller to probate an estate. The client met with Miller, but Miller never filed the petition to probate the estate. The client ultimately hired new counsel. In addition to imposing the censure, the court directed Miller to make restitution to the client in the amount of $2,996.50.